SOIL: What is it?
Name: _________________________________Date: ____________________________Period:________
Soil Composition
Soil Formation
1. Weathering
2. Erosion & deposition
3. Decomposition
Soil Horizons
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Soil Characteristics
1. _____________ major soil groups
2. Classified by….
3. Soil texture is based on __________________size.
Loam is a relatively equal mixture of all three particles.
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Soil Degradation & Conservation
Erosion is the ______________ by which material, such as topsoil, is moved from one
__________ to another.
Erosion is caused by ___________________ processes & human activities.
Erosion occurs faster than soil is ______________________, depleting nutrients in the topsoil.
Crops, _______________ & other plant communities protect soil from erosion.
Farming practices that reduce erosion…
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Intercropping: different ___________________ mixed together
Crop rotation: crops are ________________________
Shelterbelts: tall plants block ______________
Conservation tillage: ____________ turnover is reduced
Contour farming: planting perpendicular to hill’s ______________________________
Ranching practices
1) Ranching is the raising & grazing of ____________________.
2) Overgrazing causes & worsens many ______________ problems.
3) Range managers encourage grazing _______________ and enforce them on publicly
owned land.
Forestry practices
1) Forestry practices such as _______________ - ________________ can increase erosion
2) Today, practices that reduce soil erosion are selective logging, are increasingly
common.
Desertification is the loss of more than _______% of soil productivity.
Causes: soil compaction, ____________________, overgrazing, drought, or other factors
Arid & semi-arid lands are more _________________.
The _______________ Bowl was a major desertification event in the 1930s.
Soil conversation efforts
US Soil Conservation Act (1935): Established the Soil Conservation Service, today called the
_______________________________________________________________________.
Farmer-centered Agricultural Resource Management Program (FARM): A United Nations
effort that focuses on __________________ challenges in developing ________________.
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Soil Pollution
Too much irrigation can waterlog _______________ and lead to salinization – a buildup of
________________ in upper soil horizon.
Toxic pesticides can remain in ___________ for a long time, eventually filtering to
_____________.
Agriculture
Selective Breeding & Settlement
In early agriculture, people began planting ______________ from plants they liked most, a
form of selective breeding.
Crop cultivation enable people to ___________ permanently often near water sources, and
raise ___________________.
Agriculture and livestock provide a stable _________ supply, which allowed the development
of modern civilization.
Traditional Agriculture
Agriculture “powered” by people and _______________.
Does not require _______________ ____________
Practiced by widely until the Industrial Revolution.
Industrial Agriculture
Agriculture that requires the use of _____________ ______________.
Involves mechanized farming technology, manufactured ____________________, and largescale irrigation.
To be efficient, large areas are planted with a single crop in a _________________________.
The Green Revolution
Introduced new technology, crop varieties and farming practices to the developing world in
the mid to late 1900s.
Benefits:
1) Increase _________ yields and saved millions of people from starvation in India &
Pakistan
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2) Prevented some ____________________________ and habitat loss by increasing yields on
cultivated land.
Costs:
1) Led to ______% increase in energy used by agriculture
2) Worsened erosion, salinization, ______________________________, eutrophication and
pollution.
Pests & Weed Control
1) Chemical pesticides: Effective and ______________ but can lead to resistance
2) Biological pest control: Permanent solution but can harm nontarget ________________
3) Intergrated Pest Management: Increasingly popular solution, combines chemical and
___________________________ pest- control solutions
Pollinators
Pollination is the process by which plants ____________________ sexually.
Agriculture relies on __________________________ such as insects.
Native and domesticated pollinator populations have __________________ due to pesticide
use, __________________ and other as of yet unknown causes.
Food Security
Since 1960, our ability to produce __________ has grown faster than the human population,
but 1 billion people are ____________________ worldwide.
Malnutrition and undernourishment are the most _________________ in the developing world.
Agriculture scientists and policymakers are working towards ____________ security- the
guarantee of an adequate food supply for all ____________________ at all times.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Organisms with modified _____________.
Commonly engineered _________________ include rapid ______________, pest resistance and
frost tolerance.
In the US, 85% of __________ and 90% of _________________, cotton and canola crops come
from GM strains.
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Risks & Benefits of GM Crops
Risks….
1) Potential for “______________________” that are resistant to pest-resistant crops.
2) Contamination of non-GM crops
Benefits…..
1) Insect resistant ________________ reduce the need for insecticides.
2) Herbicide-resistant __________ encourage tillage conservation. Tilling is the turning over of
soil before planting.
Industrial Food Production: Feedlots
Alternative to open _________________ in which energy-rich food is delivered to concentrated
groups of livestock or poultry.
Benefits: Reduces _____________ degradation and fertilizer use
Costs: requires antibiotic use, potential for ____________ contamination and animal stress.
Industrial Food Production: Aquaculture
Fish farming in a controlled ___________________________.
Benefits….. Can be sustainable, ________________ by-catch, reduces _____________ fuel use
Costs……More difficult to control spread of ________________, produces a lot of waste,
potential for farm raised animals to ________________ into the wild.
Sustainable Agriculture
Does not deplete the _________ faster than it forms
Does not ______________ the amount of quality of soil, water, and genetic diversity essential
to long-term crops and livestock production.
Organic agriculture is ________________________ agriculture that does not use synthetic
chemicals.
Local, small-scale, agriculture _______________ the use of fossil fuels and chemicals used for
____________________________ and storage.
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What do PLU codes say about your produce?
May 7, 2010 11:44 AM
You know those little stickers on fruits and veggies? They’re called price look-up (PLU) codes
and they contain numbers that cashiers use to ring you up. But you can also use them to make
sure you’re getting what you paid for. Here’s what to look for:
• A five-digit number that starts with a 9 means the item is organic.
• A four-digit code beginning with a 3 or a 4 means the produce is probably conventionally
grown. For example, regular small lemons sold in the U.S. are labeled 4033, large are 4053; small
organic lemons are coded 94033, large are 94053.
• A five-digit code that starts with an 8 means the item is genetically modified (it has genes
from other organisms). You won’t see many of those because only genetically modified versions
of corn, soybeans, canola, cotton, papaya, and squash are now widely sold. And because PLU
codes aren’t mandatory, companies can label those items as conventional. The problem is that
although an estimated 60 to 70 percent of food items sold, including packaged goods, have
genetically modified ingredients, little is known about the long-term effects of consuming them,
and concerns have been raised about an increase in allergies and other health issues. For more
info, visit the Non-GMO Shopping Guide website.
This article first appeared in the May 2010 issue of ShopSmart magazine. For more health
and shopping advice, pick up a copy on newsstands now.
Source: http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2010/05/decode-your-produce-what-do-plu-codes-mean-when-tobuy-organic-fruits-and-vegetables.html
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Soil – Agriculture Review worksheet
Matching: Please choose the correct word to match the definition & place the letter on the line provided.
______1. A distinct layer of soil
A. Soil
______2. Soil particles that are less than 0.002 mm in diameter
B. Weathering
______3. Equal parts of sand, clay & silt
C. Overgrazing
______4. Cross-section of all soil horizons in a specific soil
D. Crop rotation
______5. The mixture of disintegrated rock, organic matter, water, gases,
nutrients and microorganisms that supports plant growth
E. Sand
______6. Soil conservation where two or more crops are planted on one field
F. Intercropping
______7. Soil particle that are 0.05 – 2.0 mm in diameter
G. Soil profile
______8. Physical & chemical processes that break down rocks and minerals
into smaller particles
______9. Allowing animals to eat so much the plant cover cannot regrow
H. Loam
I. Soil horizon
______10. Different types of crops are grown in the same field from year to year
J. Clay
Please label the soil horizon diagram below. Include the name of the horizon & what you find there.
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Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer.
_______1. Soil texture is based on
A. fertility.
B. particle size.
C. acidity or alkalinity.
D. the arrangement of soil particles
_______2. The type of soil with the smallest average particle size is
A. silt.
B. clay.
C. sand.
D. loam.
_______3. The organic matter in soil includes
A. Minerals
B. Living and decomposing organisms
C. Living organisms only
D. Bedrock
_______4. Crop rotation does all the following EXCEPT
A. Minimize erosion
B. Let fields lie fallow
C. Return nutrients to the soil
D. Break the cycle of disease
_______5. Traditional agriculture may use all of the following EXCEPT
A. Teams of work animals
B. Irrigation
C. Fossil fuels
D. Organic fertilizer
_______6. Because of the green revolution, between 1961 and 2008, food production
A. Increased 150 % while the population doubled
B. Kept pace with population growth
C. Did not increase
D. Was mostly organic
_______7. A secure food supply depends on all of the following except
A. maintaining healthy soil and water
B. Increased use of fertilizer
C. Safe distribution of the food
D. Biodiversity
_______8. Industrial food production includes
A. Aquaculture
B. Monocultures
C. Feedlots
D. All of the above
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_______9. Which horizon contains the topsoil?
A. Horizon O
B. Horizon A
C. Horizon E
D. Horizon B
_______10. ________________ is agriculture that does not deplete soil faster than it forms.
A. Industrial agriculture
B. Sustainable agriculture
C. Organic agriculture
D. Traditional agriculture
Matching: Choose the best word to match the definition.
_______1. A chemical that kills organisms that attack or compete with plants
A. Sustainable
Agriculture
_______2. Use of genetic engineering to increase the value of a product
B. green revolution
_______3. Raising of aquatic organisms for food in a controlled environment
C. traditional
Agriculture
_______4. Guarantee that adequate and reliable food is available for all people
D. feedlot
_______5. Type of sustainable agriculture where only biological methods are used
E. GM organisms
_______6. Organisms who DNA has been manipulated
F. food security
_______7. Huge warehouse designed to deliver energy rich food to livestock
G. aquaculture
_______8. Farming dependent on animal & human power only
H. organic agriculture
_______9. New technologies, crops and farming practices to the developing countries
I. pesticide
_______10. Farming that does not deplete soil faster that it forms
J. biotechnology
Short answer: Please answer the following questions w/details.
1.
How are pollinators important to crop agriculture?
2. What do each of the four characteristics of soil(color, texture, pH & structure) indicate about its ability to
support plant life?
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3. Explain how overgrazing and planting in poor soil can cause a cycle of desertification.
4. Do you think organic products are worth the extra cost?
5. How have industrial agriculture and the green revolution affected the world’s population?
6.
What are two disadvantages and two advantages of industrial food production?
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